We wrote previously about standing for abdominal work, and after reading contrary opinions online about the efficacy of standing ab exercises, we’re re-visiting this topic. The true benefit of standing ab exercises is in their emphasis on movement – not muscle. Here’s why.

Standing Ab Exercises vs Seated

Activating your core with crunches and planks puts both gravity and the weight of your trunk at work, though in a single direction only. Doing these reclined exercisers correctly means you can build strength and definition, but poor form means putting your back at risk of injury. Standing ab exercises, including cable wood chops, standing cable pushes and standing cable pulls, are likewise effective, but for a different reason.

Three-Dimensional Movement Patterns

When you stand to perform controlled abdominal exercises, you’re performing movements that mimic ways in which our bodies actually move during our day-to-day lives. The emphasis isn’t just on muscle,but rather movement. We don’t move our bodies with isolated muscles – we move with twist patterns of stored kinetic energy. That’s the real value of incorporating standing ab exercises into your core work. You aren’t just building strength for lying on the floor, but for real-life demands when you’re on your feet.

The real takeaway is that standing ab exercises help you hit different muscle groups instead of isolating small, specific muscles. There are 29 muscles in your abdomen, back, and pelvis, and a strong, functional core means working them all in patterns that mimic your day-to-day activities.